The importance of a responsible 4th line that can skate well enough and hit hard enough and play strong enough along the wall to play an effective shift against just about any of the opponent's lines has never been more obvious than in this year's playoffs. St. Louis' fourth line hammered the Kings all series long and were probably the reason that it took LA a few games to really find their legs. Ottawa's fourth line carried the Senators. Boston's fourth line was instrumental in rallying the team against the Leafs until Lucic finally woke up in game 7, against the Rangers their fourth line has demoralized New York. Detroit is rolling 4 lines, San Jose did against us too.

It is clear that the old mentality if having a fourth line that contributes under 10 minutes per game is only going to be worth anything in the regular season.

So who should Gillis be looking at trying to sign, acquire, or retain, to fill that crucial role on our Canucks?

Meds wrote:The importance of a responsible 4th line that can skate well enough and hit hard enough and play strong enough along the wall to play an effective shift against just about any of the opponent's lines has never been more obvious than in this year's playoffs. St. Louis' fourth line hammered the Kings all series long and were probably the reason that it took LA a few games to really find their legs. Ottawa's fourth line carried the Senators. Boston's fourth line was instrumental in rallying the team against the Leafs until Lucic finally woke up in game 7, against the Rangers their fourth line has demoralized New York. Detroit is rolling 4 lines, San Jose did against us too.

It is clear that the old mentality if having a fourth line that contributes under 10 minutes per game is only going to be worth anything in the regular season.

So who should Gillis be looking at trying to sign, acquire, or retain, to fill that crucial role on our Canucks?

The 4th line is way the fuck down the list of priorities. Having a proper second line, that possess proper top 6 offensive skill sets to help solve our fucking scoring woes is where Gillis should be focusing his brain. I mean, that is unless you think our scoring woes can be solved with 4th line talent, LMAO!

Gillis has to miraculously find a trading partner to take Lagongo off his hands without having to take a big contract back, buy out or trade both Booth or Ballard for 4th or 5th round draft picks. GOOD LUCK! If he can, then he might be able to fix the weaknesses of this team, i.e. scoring help, top 6 help with new size-able contracts.

With Gillis cap pickle he is in, acquiring top 6 talent may be out of the question if he can't get his house in order, the bottom 6 will be littered with rookies and cheap journeymen on tiny contracts. They actually think this Lane kid, fresh out of College will be our 4th line centre next year, LMAO. The answer to losing Malhotra.

Last edited by RoyalDude on Sat May 25, 2013 3:46 pm, edited 2 times in total.

"I just want to say one word to you. Just one word. Are you listening? - Plastics." - The Graduate

Shawn Thornton - signed as a UFA Dan Paille - Buffalo Sabres traded Daniel Paille to the Boston Bruins for a third-round draft pick and conditional fourth-round pick in 2010.Gregory Campbell - Florida Panthers traded Nathan Horton and Gregory Campbell to the Boston Bruins for Dennis Wideman, a 1st round selection in 2010 and a 3rd round selection in 2011.

Probably the best 4th line in the NHL acquired at little to no cost, I would say the Bruins nabbed Horton for Wideman and the first and threw in a 3rd rounder to get Campbell. The cost of acquiring 4th line talent is so low that I'd say the only difficulty is having a pro scouting department that is good enough to target the right guys. I'd say the Canucks have 1 decent 4th liner in Weise and the rest could be buckled in and fired into free agency. Judging by how well Sturm, Ballard, Booth, Pinizzoto and Bernier worked out I would say the Canucks pro scouting department could be much improved. We may have a couple of up and comers in Lain and Mallet but that's all I can see in our pipeline.

Probably the best 4th line in the NHL acquired at little to no cost, I would say the Bruins nabbed Horton for Wideman and the first and threw in a 3rd rounder to get Campbell. The cost of acquiring 4th line talent is so low that I'd say the only difficulty is having a pro scouting department that is good enough to target the right guys. I'd say the Canucks have 1 decent 4th liner in Weise and the rest could be buckled in and fired into free agency. Judging by how well Sturm, Ballard, Booth, Pinizzoto and Bernier worked out I would say the Canucks pro scouting department could be much improved. We may have a couple of up and comers in Lain and Mallet but that's all I can see in our pipeline.

Yeah, but we are talking about the Bruins, the team who drafted Lucic, Bergeron, Krejci, Marchand outside the 1st round. All within a few years of each other. Got Seguin and Hamilton for Kessel, stole Rask from the Leafs. Brilliant thinkers in that organization.

Can we trade our Management for their Management?

"I just want to say one word to you. Just one word. Are you listening? - Plastics." - The Graduate

Meds wrote:The importance of a responsible 4th line that can skate well enough and hit hard enough and play strong enough along the wall to play an effective shift against just about any of the opponent's lines has never been more obvious than in this year's playoffs. St. Louis' fourth line hammered the Kings all series long and were probably the reason that it took LA a few games to really find their legs. Ottawa's fourth line carried the Senators. Boston's fourth line was instrumental in rallying the team against the Leafs until Lucic finally woke up in game 7, against the Rangers their fourth line has demoralized New York. Detroit is rolling 4 lines, San Jose did against us too.

It is clear that the old mentality if having a fourth line that contributes under 10 minutes per game is only going to be worth anything in the regular season.

So who should Gillis be looking at trying to sign, acquire, or retain, to fill that crucial role on our Canucks?

The 4th line is way the fuck down the list of priorities. Having a proper second line, that possess proper top 6 offensive skill sets to help solve our fucking scoring woes is where Gillis should be focusing his brain. I mean, that is unless you think our scoring woes can be solved with 4th line talent, LMAO!

Gillis has to miraculously find a trading partner to take Lagongo off his hands without having to take a big contract back, buy out or trade both Booth or Ballard for 4th or 5th round draft picks. GOOD LUCK! If he can, then he might be able to fix the weaknesses of this team, i.e. scoring help, top 6 help with new size-able contracts.

With Gillis cap pickle he is in, acquiring top 6 talent may be out of the question if he can't get his house in order, the bottom 6 will be littered with rookies and cheap journeymen on tiny contracts. They actually think this Lane kid, fresh out of College will be our 4th line centre next year, LMAO. The answer to losing Malhotra.

Where in all of my opening post did I say anything about the second line and secondary scoring?

Where did I say the 4th line is more important?

Read the title of the thread. Read the opening post. Done? Can't read? Didn't think so.

RoyalDude wrote:The 4th line is way the fuck down the list of priorities. Having a proper second line, that possess proper top 6 offensive skill sets to help solve our fucking scoring woes is where Gillis should be focusing his brain. I mean, that is unless you think our scoring woes can be solved with 4th line talent, LMAO!

Absolutely. The top 6 is where we lost the important games. Too soft, too slow, too weak, too uninterested.

Unfortunately an upgrade on the 4th is also needed

Pretty well everything has gone totally stale in Canuckland when you think about it

Meds wrote:So who should Gillis be looking at trying to sign, acquire, or retain, to fill that crucial role on our Canucks?

The 4th line is way the fuck down the list of priorities. Having a proper second line, that possess proper top 6 offensive skill sets to help solve our fucking scoring woes is where Gillis should be focusing his brain. I mean, that is unless you think our scoring woes can be solved with 4th line talent, LMAO!

So that means that can't discuss it and have to read the same shit that you type in every other fucking post? Give it a break.

Meds wrote:So who should Gillis be looking at trying to sign, acquire, or retain, to fill that crucial role on our Canucks?

The 4th line is way the fuck down the list of priorities. Having a proper second line, that possess proper top 6 offensive skill sets to help solve our fucking scoring woes is where Gillis should be focusing his brain. I mean, that is unless you think our scoring woes can be solved with 4th line talent, LMAO!

So that means that can't discuss it and have to read the same shit that you type in every other fucking post? Give it a break.

You're right...this is a 4th line thread. I'll shut it.

"I just want to say one word to you. Just one word. Are you listening? - Plastics." - The Graduate

Good lord Pacific Blue. Enjoy the nice weather instead of whining about the Canucks. Put the Pilsner down and let your dusty lungs breathe in some fresh air. You might actually enjoy it. Sitting inside staring at your computer has made you a miserable prick.

Blob Mckenzie wrote:Good lord Pacific Blue. Enjoy the nice weather instead of whining about the Canucks. Put the Pilsner down and let your dusty lungs breathe in some fresh air. You might actually enjoy it. Sitting inside staring at your computer has made you a miserable prick.

I was out all morning driving around town, hospital, airport etc, just got back, opened a can of 1516 listening to the new National cd on my iTunes, all is good mate. I just like being the devils advocate

"I just want to say one word to you. Just one word. Are you listening? - Plastics." - The Graduate

Blob Mckenzie wrote:Good lord Pacific Blue. Enjoy the nice weather instead of whining about the Canucks. Put the Pilsner down and let your dusty lungs breathe in some fresh air. You might actually enjoy it. Sitting inside staring at your computer has made you a miserable prick.

I was out all morning driving around town, hospital, airport etc, just got back, opened a can of 1516 listening to the new National cd on my iTunes, all is good mate. I just like being the devils advocate

Blob Mckenzie wrote:Good lord Pacific Blue. Enjoy the nice weather instead of whining about the Canucks. Put the Pilsner down and let your dusty lungs breathe in some fresh air. You might actually enjoy it. Sitting inside staring at your computer has made you a miserable prick.

I was out all morning driving around town, hospital, airport etc, just got back, opened a can of 1516 listening to the new National cd on my iTunes, all is good mate. I just like being the devils advocate

Ooooohhh. that's what you call it!

Cornuck is on me like white on rice. I best be toning it down.

"I just want to say one word to you. Just one word. Are you listening? - Plastics." - The Graduate

IMHO, the 4th line is a crap shoot. You approach it with a philosophy of what you want it to do (puck-possession a-la Detroit or Bang-the-snot-out-of-them StL/Bos model) and scrape around for hopefuls who you think can do it. Either they make it and you catch lightning in a bottle, or you end up with the Canucks fourth line.

Honestly, I wouldn't mind Lapierre coming back at similar salary if he's only slotted at 4th-line C with no aspirations of him moving up. He can be good in the dot, can be physical and unhinge the opposition - which makes him a good candidate IMHO - but I won't cry if he's let go.

If Weise was more of a bad-ass and had slightly better hands, I'd recommend we keep him. He has the speed and size, but just not the meanness to truly get the other team off their game and his hockey IQ just isn't there. You can see him trying out there, but it just isn't clicking and he's neither bothering nor scaring anyone out there. Keep him as a 13th forward for depth, but I don't think he's going to suddenly morph into something he's not.

Sestito.... buh-bye. Nice enough to have a knuckle-chucker but he was a designated goon and everyone knew it when they rarely saw him on the ice. No place for him.

Too bad Gillis and crew screwed up re: Volpatti. He seemed to do pretty well in Washington.

What the Canucks need is a Chris Neil type - somebody who can create a ruckus in the offensive zone, drop them and handle himself well and pot more than just the odd goal. Failing that, a Ronnie Stern type. Somebody who skates the rink like a cruise missile who salivates at the thought of a defenceman getting the puck in the corners or end-boards (what Weise could be if he was smarter and meaner).